NO UNITED THIS WEEK…
From the Mirror:
Sven Eriksson last night gave out-of-form Rio Ferdinand a massive vote of confidence after Ashley Cole delivered a huge injury blow to England's World Cup qualification hopes.
The Arsenal left-back has suffered a stress fracture to his right foot which will rule him out for a month, meaning he misses several crunch Premiership and Champions League matches.
While Eriksson ponders who to play at left-back he also hinted he will stick with Ferdinand who has been criticised for his recent displays.
England boss Eriksson must choose between Ferdinand, Sol Campbell and John Terry in central defence.
But, amazingly, Eriksson ignored the scathing criticism of Ferdinand and said:
"I have seen many games this season and I think Rio is playing well, as Campbell and Terry are.
"It's a big decision for me to make and one of them will be disappointed."
Meanwhile, Rio himself is busy talking to his good mate Shaun Custis at the Sun, the intriguing detail of which is unfortunately not available online:
#1: Rio Ferdinand could not bear the shame of being part of an England squad which failed to qualify for the World Cup finals.
Sven Goran Eriksson’s men dumped themselves in the mire when they suffered that stunning 1-0 defeat against Northern Ireland in Belfast a month ago.
It was a result which sent shockwaves across the nation — and it means England have to win both their final two qualifiers at Old Trafford against Austria on Saturday and group leaders Poland on October 12 to be sure of reaching Germany.
#2: Rio Ferdinand has vowed to beat his dip in form to lead England through to the World Cup Finals.
The Manchester United star is fighting to retain his place for the qualifying clash with Austria on Saturday.
But big-hearted Rio has told England fans he will never let his country down.
However, the Evening News is on hand to fill us in:
Rio Ferdinand admits his form this season has fallen below the standard he expects.
"I set myself high standards on the pitch and know I have not always lived up to them this season," he told The Sun. "But you have to show the strength of character to come through the difficult times.
"I know I have got that and I know my team-mates have it as well. Every one of them has incredible mental belief.
"Nobody wants to be associated with failing to qualify for the World Cup finals. I cannot imagine the shame of it.
"There is a huge responsibility on all of us to get England through. It would be one of the biggest disasters in sports history if we blew it and we must make sure it does not happen.
"I think some of the criticism has been a bit over the top but it probably reflects the passion for football in our country. When we win, everything is fantastic and when we lose everything's a disaster.”